Emilia-Romagna, Italy’s North East

The Arco de Augusto, Arch of Augustus, northern Italy’s oldest surviving triumphal arch seen from when leaving the inner city of Rimini. It was erected in 27 BCE by order of the Roman Senate to honour Caesar Augustus. It was part of the earliest ring of defensive walls; remains of this, made in local stone, can be seen on the sides of the arch, The walls and buildings on either side were demolished in the 1930s. The gods seen in the round elements are Neptune and Rome on the inner side, celebrating the grandeur of Rome and the power of Augustus. The battlements on the upper part date to the 10th Century.